Washing-machine.



G. PORTSCHE, SR.

WASHLNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION HLED Nov. 27. 1912.

G. PORTSCHE, SR.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATIQN man Nov.27.1912.

Ll. Patented Jan. 11, 19H5.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- W/YVESSES fwn/@M1 erre GEORGE PORTSCHE, SR., OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

Application led November 27, 1912. Serial No. 733,771.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE PoRTsCHE, Sr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Lincoln, in the county of. Lancaster and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing- Machines, of which thev following is a speciication.

This invention relates to washing machines of the oscillatory type, and one of its objects is to provide a machine for washing clothes and other fabrics which may be readily and conveniently operated by hand, foot or other power, as the dictates of the user or circumstances may require.

A further object of the inventiony is to provide a simple, reliable, inexpensive and efficient type of washing machine which is normally balanced upon its pivotal supports by opposing springs and provided with means by which it may be operated by hand or other power or by foot power, and wherein provision is. made for throwing one of the springs out of action when foot power is employed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a washing machine which may be held against movement when desired, which embodies means for preventing leakage when the cover is closed and the machine in operation, and which also embodies means for the use of a wringer and the drainage of the expressed waterV back into the clothes receptacle, in the oper-ation of the wringer, so as to prevent splashing of the water upon the flooror surrounding ob- 'ects. J The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved washingmachine. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The machine embodies a suitable supporting frame including spaced standards 1 and 2, cross bars 3 and 4 and tie rods or bolts 5 and 6, the standard 2 being arranged to project above its companion standard 1 and provided at its upper end with a bar 7 to support a wringer of any suitable type. The standards 1 and 2 carry bearings 8 and 9 for stub shafts or trunnions 10 and 11 projecting from the sides ofthe clothes receptaole 12, whereby said receptacle is adapted to rock or oscillate upon said shafts or trunnions as an axis. The shaft or trunnion l0 has an extended angular end 13 for the detachable connection therewith of an operating handle 14 or other suitable means for oscillating the receptacle by hand or any preferred type of motive power.

The receptacle is provided at its bottom with a drain outlet 15 closed by a suitable plug or stopper 16, and is also provided with a suitably. corrugated and serrated linlng or interior surface 17, to impart the desired rubbing action to the clothes. Arranged upon the interior of the receptacle are oppositely disposed series of superposed vcorrugated plates or shelves 18 which also act as rubbing surfaces and operate to toss up and overturn the clothes, so as to expose all surfaces thereof to the water and to the rubbing action.

The receptacle is preferably made of sheet metal and is provided in its top with an opening 19 for the insertion and removal of the clothes, which opening is adapted to be closed by a hinged door or cover 2O,y also preferably formed of sheet metal and having a handle 21 and adapted to be secured in position by a turn button 0r other suitable fastening device 22. The wall of the opening 19 is bent to provide a depending surrounding channel 23having an inwardly and upwardly inclined inner wall 24, which channel is adapted to receive a closure ange 25 depending from the cover, whereby a seal is provided to prevent the water from splashing out when the machine is in operation, the channel serving to receive and retain any small portion of the water which may escape between the top of the cover and wall 24.

The legs of one of the standards, as the standard 1, are provided with eye bolts 26 and 27, and the adjacent side wall of the receptacle 12 is provided at a point above and in front and rear of the axis of said receptacle with similar eye bolts 28 and 29. Coiled contractile springs 30 and 31 are provided with hooked ends 32 to respectively engage the front and rear sets of eye bolts.. These springs normally balance each other and hold the receptacle in a stationary horizontal position, so that upon rocking the handle 14 or other motive power device applied to the trunnion 10, the springs will be alternately relaxed and tensioned to assist in the operation of rocking the receptacle in the washing operation.

A treadle or foot lever 33 is pivotally mounted upon the rod or bolt 6 at the front of the machine, and to this lever is connected the lower end of a link 34 having a hooked upper end 35 to engage an eye 36 upon the front of the receptacle, whereby the latter may be actuated by foot power when desired. In operating the machine by hand or other power applied to the trunnion 10, the link 34 may be detached from the receptacle, and in operating the machine by foot power the hooked upper end of the adjacent spring 3() is disconnected from the eye 28, so that when the receptacle is depressed downwardly and forwardly by downward movement of the treadle, the spring 3l will be tensioned to communicate opposite motion thereto. Catches 37 are pivoted to the standard 2 and provided with hooked ends 38 to engage openings 39 in the top of the receptacle, whereby the latter may be held fixed against motion while the clothes are being inserted or removed.

A rod 40 is carried by the standard 2 and to this rod is pivoted a sheet metal apron 4l adaptec to fold to an inoperative position against the part 7 and to be swung downward and inward, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4 to catch the wat-er expressed from the clothes by the wringer and conduct the same by gravity back into the receptacle. This apron is provided at its sides with guard flanges 42 which may contact with the inner faces of the standards and which are adapted to prevent escape of the water and is provided at its free edge with an angularly bent lip 43 adapted to extend or bridge over the channel 23, as will be readily understood. A retaining pin 44 is .slidably mounted on the standard 2 and may be adjusted to hold the apron folded back or to release it so that it may be swung inwardly for use. lVhen the portion 43 of the apron 4l is extended into the opening in the top of the receptacle l2, the sides of the flange will be positioned so as to engage against the adjacent walls of the opening and thereby hold the receptacle against oscillatory movement. This feature is found to possess advantages in that one may more readily remove the clothes from the receptacle after the washing operation.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, the construction and mode of operation ofl my improved washing machine may be readily understood and it will be seen that a machine of this character is provided which affords substantial advantages and which may be conveniently operated and manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

I claim A washing machine comprising a frame, a receptacle mounted for oscillatory movement on said frame, said receptacle being rectangular in cross section and in longitudinal section shaped to have an arcuate bottom and a pair of end walls a continuation of said bottom, a corrugated lining covering the major portion of the inner surface of said bottom, and two sets of rectangular corrugated sheet metal plates of a width equal to and secured to the inner surface of said bottom between said lining and the juncture of the bottom and end walls, the plates of each set being spaced apart vertically and inclining downwardly toward said bottom.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ronrsoHE, sR.

Witnesses:

J. W. BREWsTER, MYRNA H. ROBINSON. 

